The United States figure skating community is mourning the loss of several skaters, who died in a tragic plane crash earlier this week. The jet, which went down near Washington D.C., on Wednesday, January 29, collided with an army helicopter. As more details emerge regarding the tragic collision, two of the pilots from the Black Hawk helicopter have been identified. Despite mass confusion amongst the public, the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clarified that the flight crew was “fairly experienced” and were performing a “required annual night evaluation” when the crash took place.
Washington D.C. Plane Crash Details
On Wednesday January 29, 2025, American Airlines flight #5342 crashed into the Potomac River after colliding with a Black Hawk helicopter in the evening. District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly informed the public that there were no survivors in the collision.
The American Airlines jet was flying into Reagan National Airport in Virginia from Wichita, Kansas.
The NTSB’s Todd Inman says the agency intends to deliver a preliminary report on the D.C. plane crash “within 30 days and the final report will be issued once we’ve completed all our fact-finding and investigation.”
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Who Were the Pilots in the D.C. Plane Crash?
Two of the pilots from the Black Hawk helicopter were identified as Crew Chief Ryan O’Hara, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39. O’Hara was a father to a 1-year-old child, CBS News reported, and Eaves’ wife confirmed his death in a social media post. The identity of the female co-pilot was initially withheld by her family; her name was 28-year-old Captain Rebecca Lobach, per NPR.
Hegseth addressed the public after the tragedy in a video obtained by Fox News, confirming that the Black Hawk crew was a “fairly experienced” group that were “doing a required annual night evaluation.”
“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” Hegseth added. “It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner. And of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers, their families and their communities as people are notified.”
Who Were the Figure Skaters On AA Flight 5342?
Two veteran Russian skaters, who later became coaches in the U.S., died in the crash. Their names were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Along with the coaches, multiple youth skaters, including teens Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, also died along with some of their parents who were on board.
